Grafting-tool.



G. A. PRIEST.

GRAFTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26 Patented 0013.29, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cc.,wAsmNGToN, D. c.

COBYDON A. PRIEST, OF WEST FARMINGTON, MAINE.

GRAFTING-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 29,1912.

Application filed June 26, 1912. Serial No. 706,086.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CoRYDoN A. PRIEST, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Farmington, in the county of Franklin, State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grafting- Tools;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to grafting tools.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a tool of thecharacter named which will facilitate the operation of grafting treesand plants and whose use will greatly increase successful results fromgrafting operations.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a graftingtool which will be simple in construction, easily operated, durable andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture. I

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the tool applied to the limb of a treepreparatory to splitting the latter for the introduction of a scion andthe usual wax seal, Fig. 2, a perspective view of the tree limb shown inFig. 1 after same has been split and the grafting tool with theexception of the chisel member removed, Fig. 3, a plan .view of the tooldetached, Fig. 4, a side view of the tool, Fig. 5, a longitudinalsection of the tool, and Fig. 6, a detail perspective view of the chiselholder and guide employed in the tool.

Referring to the drawings the tool is shown as comprising a pair ofnipper elements A and B each of which includes a handle portion 10 and ajaw portion 11. Each of the jaws 11 are provided with inwardly directedouter ends 12 which are adapted to cooperate with each other after thefashion of a wire cutter. The nipper elements A and B are pivotallyconnected just inward of the jaws 11 by means of a bolt 13 which hasthreaded on one end a thumb nut 14. This bolt 18 also passes through thebase 15 of a chisel holder and guide C and serves to secure said chiselholder and guide to the nipper elements A and. B as will be apparent.The chisel holder and guide C is provided with an arm 16 whichterminates in a tubular portion 17 the bore of which is disposedtransversely of the jaws 11. By this constructionit will be apparentthat the chisel holder and guide may be adjusted so as to move thetubular portion 17 transversely of the jaws 11, the thumb nut 14 beingutilized to secure said tubular portion in a desired adjustment.Slidably mounted in the tubular portion 17 is the stem 18 of a chiselelement 19 through the instrumentality of which latter the necessarysplit is made in the tree branch prior to the insertion of the scion.

In the use of the tool the branch of the tree, indicated at D, is firstsawed off and the free end of the stub gripped between the jaws 11.Suflicient pressure is exerted upon the jaws 11 through the medium ofthe handles 10 to force said jaws through the bark at diametricallyopposite points on the branch. The chisel holder and guide 0 is thenadjusted relatively to the free end of the branch so as to bring thechisel 19 in proper position to slit the branch longitudinally. Thechisel 19 is then operated by means of blows imparted by a hammer or thelike against the outer end of the stem 18 so as to slit the branch D. Itwill be here noted that owing tothe fact that the bark of the branch hasbeen previously cut in a regular manner by the aws 11 the slit producedby the operation of the chisel 19 will be substantially smooth and even.After the slitting of the branch D the nipper element A and B and thechisel holder and guide C are removed leaving the chisel 19 embedded inthe branch D and serving to hold the separated portions of the branch inspaced relation. The desired scion is then applied in the slit producedby the chisel 19 afterwhich the necessary wax seal is introduced. Thechisel 19 is then removed when the separated sections of the branch Dwill contract tightly upon the scion and assure in conjunction with thewax seal an air tight joint between the branch and scion.

It has been found in practice that the successful nature of the graftsmade with the assistance of the tool herein described has been due tothe evenness of the slit produced by the tool, such evenness of the slitserving to enhance the air tight nature of the oint when the scion isapplied and the free flow of the sap from the branch to the scion.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A grafting tool comprising a pair of pivotally connected membersforming handles and cooperating jaws, and a chisel element slidablymounted upon said pivoted I members for movement in a plane at rightangles to the plane of movement of the jaws,

whereby the operation of said chisel element will split the branch inthe plane of the severed portions of the bark, and means permittingremoval of the pivoted members from engagement with the branchindependent of the chisel element.

3. A grafting tool comprising a pair of pivotally connected membersforming handles and cooperating jaws, a bracket adjustably secured tosaid pivoted members by the pivotal connection of the latter, saidbracket including a tubular portion having its bore disposed at rightangles to the plane of movement of the jaws, and a chisel elementslidably mounted in said tubular portion.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

CORYDON A. PRIEST. Witnesses:

LULA M. HoLWAY, E. HERBERT DINGLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

